It’s time Jammu and Kashmir look back at what were called epoch-making Assembly elections of 2024, and the whole gamut of things that happened or didn’t happen since then. There can be a rational debate on the times and issues provided there is a fair and democratic approach in hearing the arguments and counter-arguments.

The 2024 Assembly polls were extraordinary in many respects: these were held after a gap of 10 years – the last were held in 2014 winters which gave birth to a new political alignment – BJP , an ultra-nationalist party joined hands with PDP, a Kashmir centric party that asserted the special rights of the people of the state. This was for the first time that the elections were held in J&K following the split of the state, downgrading to UT, and abrogation of Article 370.

This election was much beyond the status, time and space. This sought the validation of the abrogation of Article 370, and aimed at projecting a new Jammu and Kashmir for the international community where tourists had given a new phrase “hot spot of tourism”, replacing unwanted and unwelcome tag of being one of the major hotspots of terrorism in the world. The voters tuned on to new life – expressing their unwavering faith in democracy with the hope for good governance , ending all the troubles of the past.

It did matter to whom did they vote for forming the government. It demolished the myths that certain........

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